{"id":178704,"date":"2023-06-08T11:42:44","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T21:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=178704"},"modified":"2023-06-08T11:42:44","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T21:42:44","slug":"jerry-agrusa-pbn-pineapple-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/06\/08\/jerry-agrusa-pbn-pineapple-award\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> TIM<\/abbr> professor earns Pacific Business News<\/em>\u2019 Pineapple Award"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"person<\/p>\n

University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa School of Travel Industry Management<\/a> Professor Jerry Agrusa is a recipient of the 2023 Pineapple Award from Pacific Business News<\/em> (PBN<\/abbr><\/em>). Agrusa was the only awardee from higher education among the 17 recipients.<\/p>\n

The annual Pineapple Awards recognize leaders in the hospitality industry. This year\u2019s honorees included hotel executives, chefs and restaurant owners, educators and more.<\/p>\n

“It is an honor to be mentioned in the same category as the esteemed and respected hospitality leaders from the state of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> as a ‘Pineapple Award’ recipient,” Agrusa said. “I appreciate the support of Dr<\/abbr>. Vance Roley, dean from the Shidler College of Business, the School of Travel Industry Management, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa and Pacific Business News<\/em>. I am also grateful for those leaders in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s hospitality industry who have taken time out of their really busy schedules to visit my classes and share their expertise and knowledge with our students in the School of Travel Industry Management.”<\/p>\n

Agrusa recently published a study on regenerative tourism in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span><\/a>, which he has integrated into his strategic management capstone class.<\/p>\n

“I believe it is my kuleana (responsibility) to bring the concept of ‘pono’ (doing the \u2018right\u2019 thing) into the classroom to guide the next generation of managers for the hospitality industry,” Agrusa told PBN<\/abbr><\/em>.<\/p>\n

When asked about his top business goal for 2023, Agrusa said he strives to expand his research in the areas of tourists\u2019 willingness to pay more for authentic Hawaiian cultural experiences, as well as willingness to pay more for locally grown food in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Agrusa published a study on both topics in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management<\/em><\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n

“It is extremely important that tourists engage in authentic and culturally accurate experiences so when they leave the islands, they can share the cultural experiences they encountered,” Agrusa said.<\/p>\n

Agrusa has been a faculty member at leading hospitality management programs in the nation for more than 30 years. His past positions include the chair\/professor of hospitality and tourism management at the University of North Texas, the chair\/professor at Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Pacific University and two endowed professorships at the University of Louisiana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The annual Pineapple Awards recognize leaders in the hospitality industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[498,598,1363,103,146,74,9],"class_list":["post-178704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-business","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-manoa-research","tag-school-of-travel-industry-management","tag-shidler-college-of-business","tag-tourism","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t